This invention relates generally to latching devices, and more particularly to a latching mechanism for preventing opening of conventional doors.
Securing cargo container doors, such as tractor trailer container doors and storage container doors, and preventing unauthorized opening of container doors are important to protecting the contents of the container. The use of locks alone to prevent unauthorized opening of container doors is inadequate because of the physical vulnerabilities of the locks. Locks are commonly broken or destroyed by means such as applying a hammer to the lock body or by applying a lock cutter to a locking bar or shackle of the lock. Once the lock is broken, access to the contents of the container is inevitable. A number of devices have been proposed in the past to prevent destruction of the locks or minimize access to the lock body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,318 describes a protector for a lock mounted on a door hinged to a doorframe. The protector includes a lock cover and a plate that prevents access to the lock. The lock cover member includes an opening for access to a keyhole of the lock and is bolted to the door and over the lock. The plate includes a slot and is attached to a doorjamb such that when the door is closed, the lock cover fits snugly in the slot thereby preventing access to one side of the lock cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,258 describes a padlock protecting device to secure a conventional latch assembly found on a cargo door of a truck. The latch assembly includes a locking lever, lever retaining mechanism attached to the cargo door, and lock coupled to the lever retaining mechanism. The protecting device includes a pivoting cover mounted to the cargo door for enclosing the lock and lever retaining mechanism, a detector switch that engages the cover when the cover is closed and detects displacement of the cover, and an alarm connected to the detector switch that emits an alarm signal during unauthorized displacement of the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,745 describes a padlock cover assembly for use with shackle type padlocks. The padlock cover assembly includes a padlock mounting bracket that is attached to one door and a cover secured to another door and advanceable to cover a padlock secured to the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket includes two tabs, and the cover has a latch finger that is positioned inside the cover and a tab. When the cover is placed over the padlock and the padlock is locked, the latch finger catches the apex of the shackle and one of the tabs and the tab of the cover catches the second tab of the mounting bracket. An access hole is provided at the bottom of the cover to access a keyhole of the padlock.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,984 describes a semitrailer cargo door locking system for use with an upper hasp and a lower hasp to secure a door handle. The system includes a shackleless lock that receives the upper and lower hasps when the hasps are aligned. A locking bolt within the shackleless lock engages the aligned hasps by a key-activated tumbler to lock the hasps in the aligned position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,292 describes a padlock protector for use with disk type padlocks having circular shackles to lock two moveable objects of a cargo container in a fixed relationship. The padlock protector includes a housing that is mounted to one of the objects, a moveable bar mounted on the interior of the housing to engage a sleeve mounted on the other object, a lower collar for enclosing the bar and having a padlock retainer at one end with a shackle receiving opening, and an upper collar for enclosing the bar having a keyhole protector. A predetermined hole is formed in the length of the bar. The keyhole protector provides access to a key to a keyhole slot of the padlock when the padlock is shackled through the hole of the bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,769 describes a padlock lock box for protecting the padlock from bolt cutters. The lock box includes a housing that is securable to a door and has an aperture in the back for receiving a fixed hasp plate that is secured to a second door or to a doorframe. The hasp plate has an opening for receiving a shackle of the padlock. The lock box has an open bottom to receive the padlock, and the front of the lock box includes an aperture for key access to the padlock.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,064 describes an enclosed lock device for use with a padlock having a shackle. The lock device includes a latch box, a strike box, and a slide assembly. The latch box has a guide bar with a channel for passing the top of the shackle therethrough, a pivoting link having a hole for receiving the shackle, and a travel limiter above the guide bar. The slide assembly includes a slidable latch located between the guide bar and the travel limiter and the padlock that is attached to the latch. The strike box includes a strike plate with a slot for receiving the latch. The bottom of the latch box has an opening for a key to access the padlock.
Trailer cargo doors commonly include rotatable stanchions that are permanently held to the exterior of the cargo doors by brackets. The stanchions are rotated to a locking position and typically secured by a lock, such as a padlock or shackle lock described in the locking system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,984. However, none of the aforementioned lock protecting devices may be coupled directly with stanchions found on conventional trailer cargo doors to secure the stanchions in a locked position, or prohibit movement of the stanchions, and prevent unauthorized opening of the doors. Additionally, none of the aforementioned lock protecting devices may be coupled directly with the stanchions and simultaneously protect the lock device.
An object of this invention is to provide a lock protecting device that secures a door in a locked position.
A more particular object of this invention is to provide a lock protecting device that may be coupled with conventional cargo container stanchions to secure the stanchions in a locked position.
Another object of this invention is to provide a lockable door latching system that secures a door to a door frame or an immoveable object adjacent to the door and prevents unauthorized tampering of the lock.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a door latching device for use with a lock that protects the lock from unauthorized tampering.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by providing a latching device for securing a door in a closed position. The latching device includes a rigid housing having an attachment bolt affixed thereto for securing the latching device to a door, a slidable locking pin having an opening for receiving a locking bar or shackle of a lock, and a guide coupled with the locking pin. The rigid housing includes an opening for receiving the lock, an opening providing limited access to a keyhole of the lock (which may or may not be combined with the lock), and a locking pin ingress/egress. In a latched position, the locking pin protrudes from the housing, and the lock is coupled with the locking pin to prevent movement of the same. In an unlatched position, the lock is uncoupled from the locking pin to permit displacement of the locking pin. The housing provides limited access to the lock once the lock is coupled with the locking pin. In applications of securing cargo container doors having stanchions, the latching device is mounted substantially adjacent to a desired stanchion that includes an aperture for receiving the locking pin. In alternative applications for securing a door that operatively couples with an immoveable object, such as a doorframe or fixed door, the latching device is mounted substantially adjacent to the object that includes an aperture for receiving the locking pin. The locking pin and the aperture are preferably aligned when the door is in the closed position to permit insertion of the locking pin into the aperture.
These and other objects of the invention are also accomplished by providing a door latching system having a lockable latch, a means for receiving the latch to secure a door in a closed position against an immovable object, and a lock engageable with the latch and having a key receiving portion, such as a keyhole. The lockable latch includes a rigid housing providing restricted access to the lock when the lock is positioned therein, a slidable locking pin coupled with the housing, and a means for affixing the lockable latch to the door, such as an attachment bolt and nut. The housing has a first opening for receiving the lock, a second opening for accessing the key receiving portion of the lock, and a locking pin ingress/egress. The locking pin has an aperture for receiving a locking bar or shackle of the lock. Depending on the type of door desired to be secured, an aperture is preferably formed in the immoveable object to receive the locking pin when the door is in the closed position.